Yoga: Your Answer to Sustained, Healthy Weight Loss

An Asana a day keeps belly fat away

- Ms. Shivani Dave

Fad diets, skipping meals and a rigorous exercise regimen could help you shed those extra kilos but only for a short period of time. Why, you wonder? The day you return to a normal diet or if you skip a week of exercise, you will find the weighing scale tipping towards your pre-diet and exercise days. The answer to losing that belly fat and love handles lies in a sustained, holistic, and balanced diet and exercise routine, like yoga.

Contrary to popular belief, yoga helps you shed the extra weight, improve metabolic rate, build muscle tone, stimulate the digestive fire, and detox the body. It reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels, which has a direct impact on digestive health, encourages better eating choices and a balanced routine consisting of rest, movement, and mindfulness.

Yoga and Metabolism

'I have great metabolism!' is a line you might have heard from a few friends or family. But what is metabolism and what does having great metabolism mean? Metabolism is a process that converts food into energy. The rate at which this happens is different for each individual and depends on factors such as age, lifestyle, physical activity, etc. Those who live sedentary lifestyles will find that their metabolic rate is low. More physical activity equals better metabolism. When we move and sweat, our endocrine system gets stimulated and balanced, burning away calories.